


The Teyrn's Daughter

by Sarina_Hawke_Theirin



Series: Kings And Queens Of Promise: The Backstories [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age - Various Authors, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarina_Hawke_Theirin/pseuds/Sarina_Hawke_Theirin
Summary: Cailan dreaded the notion of marrying Anora. She was scheming, prudish, and rude, and those were among her better qualities. He thought his happiness was doomed until a breath of fresh air entered his life in the form of Bryce Cousland's only daughter, Jenna. Unfortunately, as it fen does, fate has other plans for the star-crossed pair.





	The Teyrn's Daughter

As Anora chatted with Margaret Bryland, Cailan's mind began to wander to everything else he could have been doing at that moment. The pre-Landsmeet soirees were always tedious affairs, but this one was more boring than any before it as far as he was concerned. At least in previous years, he could spend time in the practice yards sparring with some of the noblemen's sons. That was before his betrothed decided he needed to be stuck to her side for the duration of the party.

Cailan's bride-to-be informed him of how he was expected to behave weeks before the yearly Landsmeet convened. When he tried to argue with her, she just tapped the side of his face with her fingertips and extended a sympathetic smile, as if he were the most pathetic simpleton in Thedas.

_"It's adorable that you think you have a choice in this. I know it's difficult for you to comprehend, Cailan, but the pre-Landsmeet dinner party is about more than playing swords with your little friends. It's all part of the political game, a chance to mingle with the nobles and gather information you can use later in your role as king._

_"We have only one year left before we take our vows next Summerday. The nobles and their families need to see us as a couple, their future king and queen. All you need to do is stay at my side, answer questions when directly asked, and look pretty. Let me take care of the politics."_

The prince folded his arms across his chest and scowled upon recalling that conversation. Everyone knew their relationship was completely political in nature. The two of them never got along, even as children. Unfortunately, as heir to the throne, he was expected to marry the daughter of a high-ranking noble. Given that there were only two teyrns in Ferelden, and Loghain was his father's best friend, Anora was the obvious choice. The only one apparently.

He heaved a protracted sigh.

_Oh well. At least it's not Margaret Bryland. I swear she gets bigger every time I see her, and I've scraped more attractive things from my boot heels._

Cailan's attention was drawn by a passing servant bearing a silver platter of wine. The prince snatched a delicate glass for each hand then proceeded to finish the first one off in three large gulps. Anora glared at her fiancée before taking the full glass from his left hand.

"Thank you, Cailan," she said in an overly-sweet tone. "That was very thoughtful of you."

_Never going to hear the end of that one._

His gaze swept the room, looking for any excuse to get away from Anora, even if only for a few minutes, when he spotted the most beautiful young woman he'd ever laid eyes upon. The sides of her fiery hair were pulled back into a large, emerald bow made from the same fine silk as her dress, which revealed enough cleavage to catch his interest without being considered obscene. Unlike the other women in attendance, her skin wasn't caked with white powder, but bore a rich, natural, sun-kissed glow.

When her cornflower blue eyes met his, Cailan's breath caught in his throat. Who was she? And how had they never met?

Anora must have caught her betrothed gawking at the young lady. "Any idea who that girl is, Margaret?"

The nostrils of the squat young woman's bird-like nose flared with a disdainful sneer. If Cailan didn't know any better, he would've thought she'd gotten a whiff of her own stench.

"That's Teyrn Cousland's daughter, Jenna."

Jenna. It had been two years since the prince last saw Bryce Couslands daughter when Maric visited Redcliffe to check in on Cailan's bastard half-brother. Jenna was two years younger than him and, at the time, appeared to be little more than a boy in dirty trousers with short tousled hair, so, he didn't really pay much attention then. The same couldn't be said anymore.

Anora arched a contemptuous brow. "By the look of her, one would never guess she was nobility, let alone the daughter of a teyrn. Especially with that darkened skin. Shameful."

"Yes," Margaret agreed. "She's always been a bit of a tomboy. Not to mention the fact that she and her brother spend so much time with that pirate boy."

The other woman rolled her eyes. "Don't even get me started on that situation. I can't even fathom why the Couslands ever allowed such a disgusting vagrant to enter their keep, let alone allow him to stay for extended visits. I met him once, and that was enough for me. Absolutely crude!"

While the two women ranted on about Bryce and Eleanor's wayward charge, Cailan managed to slip away from Anora's side. As much as he wanted to reintroduce himself to Jenna, he knew it would garner his fiancée's attention and he wouldn't get a moment's peace for the remainder of the evening. So, instead, he chose to enjoy his miniscule taste of freedom for as long as he could.

As he skirted through the crowd, he finally felt like a man again instead of a mabari pup on a short leash. He loathed the way Anora treated him. In fact, he simply loathed Anora. Somehow, she'd gotten it into her head that being his queen someday meant she would rule the kingdom while he remained in the background like window dressing in a shopfront.

Upon finding the corner of the room farthest away from his intended, Cailan searched the crowd for Jenna. He may not have been able to speak to the girl, but at least he could admire her beauty a while. After several minutes of searching, however, he was unable to locate her, leaving his broad shoulders to slump in defeat.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" asked a feminine voice from his right. The prince flinched in surprise before turning his head to find Jenna standing next to him sipping a glass of wine.

"Y…yes," he stuttered before regaining his composure. "Yes. I'm fine. It's Jenna, isn't it? Jenna Cousland?"

"It is," she replied with a curtsy.

Somehow, the affect seemed more a mocking gesture than a token of respect. A sly grin curved her full lips before she burst into a laugh. She covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders continued to shake with her chortles.

"Sorry," she finally offered, wiping tears from her eyes. "I know it was awful of me to laugh like that, but you didn't see the look on your face. I must've cocked that one up completely."

Cailan's brow furrowed in surprise. He never heard a high-born woman use such crude language before. Especially not in the palace, and most especially not in earshot of the royal family. He considered Anora's statement about the pirate boy and how he'd possibly been a poor influence on Jenna.

The prince was introduced to the young man some years prior on another trip to Redcliffe just before Lady Isolde demanded Bryce Cousland remove the pirate from her keep. From the story Cailan heard, the arlessa caught the lad and the teyrn's son, Fergus, peeping at her through a hole in the bathing room wall. After that, the young pirate was banned from Castle Redcliffe.

Jenna bit her lips together, stifling another giggle. After another long pause, she cleared her throat with a small cough. "Sorry again. I suppose I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities, Your Highness, and I humbly request that you don't have me executed for such an outlandish faux pas."

Cailan couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Even as she apologized, she continued to deride his station. As he stared at her with bewilderment, he couldn't help but wonder if she was joking or completely mad.

_Maybe a little of both._

She held her right palm out at chest level then slowly began to back away. "Well. I can see I've totally said the wrong thing." She pointed to the opposite corner from where they stood. "I'll just wait over there. You know. While you make up your mind about my punishment?"

"Stop," he blurted. She halted then drew a deep breath and held it, thrusting her breasts forward in the most enticing manner. "Please. Don't go. I'm not angry. In fact, I find your humor rather refreshing amidst all this stuffiness and putting on airs."

A wide grin split her face. "Is that so? Well, in that case, have I got some jokes for you, Your Highness."

He chuckled at her forthrightness. "Please. Call me Cailan. At least when it's just the two of us."

"Alright. Cailan," she agreed. "As long as you promise to call me Jenna. You know. When it's just the two of us. Around everyone else, please refer to me as Madame Arsehurts."

The prince snorted a laugh and shook his head. He'd never met anyone like her before. She didn't try to impress him with ladylike behavior or prove to him she had enough poise to be in the running as his bride. She just said whatever she wanted. Damn the proprieties.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "Terrible joke on my part. A family friend told it to me when I was younger, and I've always wanted the occasion to use it myself. But I'll completely understand if you want to cut all ties with me now to save any sense of humor a prince might possess. Which, from what I understand, is very little."

The pleat in his brow deepened, prompting her to suck in her lower lip and bite down. "Went too far, didn't I?"

"No," he chuckled. "And I'll have you know, I have a wonderful sense of humor."

"At least that's what your servants tell you, right?"

It was as if she couldn't help herself, leaving him to wonder if she liked him or hated him. It was a mystery he definitely wanted to unravel. He opened his mouth to argue when he spotted a crane-necked Anora scanning the crowd.

Without asking permission, as was proper when dealing with a lady, Cailan grabbed Jenna's hand. "What would you say to getting out of here? I could even give you a personal tour of the palace."

"Why, Your Highness," she blanched with feigned shock. "Are you propositioning me?"

"N…no," he stammered. "I…I didn't mean…"

She rolled her eyes, locked fingers with his, and tugged him toward a nearby door. "Come on, before the bitch finds us and has me put in the stocks."


End file.
